| SPARK |
| January / February |
| 2005 |
The Spark is the Newsletter of the Fort Hood / Heart of Texas Cursillo. It is published by the Cursillo Community for the Cursillo Community and
does not reflect the opinion of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof.
does not reflect the opinion of the U.S. Government or any agency thereof.
SAVING FAITH
By Jack Palmer
Suppose you were to die today and found yourself standing before God, and He looked
you in the eye and asked, "Why should I let you into my heaven?"
What would you say?
What about pausing for a moment right now and asking yourself, "What would you
say?"
There are a number of common responses. Some people reply honestly, "I don't know."
Some people expect to get into heaven without having to answer such a question, as
they believe everyone will go to heaven anyway. A more common response, however,
goes something like this: "I have not been too bad a person. I know I am not perfect but
I have done my best to lead a good life. I...I..." The focus of their response is on
themselves, what they have done, or not done. In other words, they expect people (and
themselves in particular) to get into heaven on the basis of their moral behaviour. (Or,
in some instances, to fail to get in because of their lack of moral behavior!)
The most common misconception about being accepted by God and entering into
heaven, and perhaps the most common misconception about Christianity in general, is
that God's approval is something which has to be earned or merited. He will only love
us and accept us if we happen to be good enough. Charles Haskell, who was a Christian
missionary in Pakistan for some years, told of a friend who was amused by a Muslim
who confidently asserted that he had committed 129 evil deeds. Fortunately these were
offset by 135 good deeds, so he was still in credit with Allah! Unfortunately, it is not
only Muslims who have such a view of God's judgement. In 1980, a Gallop Poll in the
US showed that 43 per cent of Catholics and 20 per cent of Protestants agreed with the
statement that "heaven is a divine reward for those who earn it by their good life."
Maybe this view sounds logical - but only if we don't think about it too deeply. People
who hold such a view of God's judgement are faced with a number of problems. Firstly,
who sets the standard? Usually the answer is that each person decides for themselves
what they think the standard should be, ignoring what God's pass mark actually is.
Secondly, it would mean that no one could ever know that they were going to heaven.
Who could say for sure they were good enough? (Though many seem to think so!) And
yet the Bible indicates that we can be certain. Thirdly, such a view is asking God to
ignore our failures and, therefore, approve of evil. Fourthly, it contradicts what God has
revealed to us in the Bible.
God's pass mark for getting into heaven?
Let's see what the Bible declares. It may come as a surprise to many that God's pass
mark for getting into heaven is actually 100 per cent - perfection - that is, if you want to
get in on your own merit. When speaking about God's moral laws, particularly his
command to love others as much as we love ourselves, the New Testament declares,
"Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking
all of it" (James 2:10). When we consider that Jesus said the most important command of
all was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind" (Matthew 22:37), then it becomes obvious that we all have a problem.
The situation looks bleaker still when we take into account Jesus' teaching in the
Sermon on the Mount that we break God's commands as much by our thinking as by
our actions (Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28).
The God that the Bible reveals to us is a "holy" God. This means that he himself is
without evil and is implacably opposed to it. As the prophet Habakkuk declared, "Your
eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong" (Habakkuk 1:13). He is not
only a God of love, but also a God of justice, and to be true to his own nature, he must
judge evil. So here lies the problem. Nothing tainted with evil can live in God's
presence. I may think I am better than most, but we are all in the same boat, "for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). That doesn't mean we are
all as bad as we could be. It simply means that none of us are as good as we should be.
Obviously there must be some other way of getting into heaven than by trying to be
good enough.
God's way of salvation?
Fortunately for us, there is another way of being reconciled to God. God himself has
taken the initiative to reconcile us to himself. At the midpoint in human history, he
came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived on earth as perfect man
and gave us, in his own example, a picture of all we were meant to be. That by itself is
no help. It only shows us up. However, he came for an even greater reason: to die for
our sins and take upon himself the guilt of the human race. This is the central theme of
the New Testament. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "He himself bore our sins in his body on the
tree" (1 Peter 2:24). "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
We will never understand in this life all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross,
nor all that he suffered. The Bible gives many facets of it; however, the emphasis is
constantly on this event being the supreme evidence of God's love, done because of our
sins and to rescue us from our hopeless predicament. Jesus not only died, he rose
triumphant from the grave and now lives as Lord. The living Christ now offers to us the
benefits of his death on our behalf - forgiveness, reconciliation, his transforming
presence in our lives, and the assurance of a wonderful future in his eternal kingdom.
We do not deserve these things. They are offered to us as free gifts of his love. "The free
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23 - Revised
Standard Version). However, we do have to decide whether they are gifts that we want,
and will accept. The means by which we receive them is faith. "For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not
by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
This being the case, we all have to face a decision. We can continue to attempt to make
it on our own merit, or else we can humble ourselves, admit we are sinners, and
gratefully accept what Jesus is offering us.
DECOLORES
By Jack Palmer
Suppose you were to die today and found yourself standing before God, and He looked
you in the eye and asked, "Why should I let you into my heaven?"
What would you say?
What about pausing for a moment right now and asking yourself, "What would you
say?"
There are a number of common responses. Some people reply honestly, "I don't know."
Some people expect to get into heaven without having to answer such a question, as
they believe everyone will go to heaven anyway. A more common response, however,
goes something like this: "I have not been too bad a person. I know I am not perfect but
I have done my best to lead a good life. I...I..." The focus of their response is on
themselves, what they have done, or not done. In other words, they expect people (and
themselves in particular) to get into heaven on the basis of their moral behaviour. (Or,
in some instances, to fail to get in because of their lack of moral behavior!)
The most common misconception about being accepted by God and entering into
heaven, and perhaps the most common misconception about Christianity in general, is
that God's approval is something which has to be earned or merited. He will only love
us and accept us if we happen to be good enough. Charles Haskell, who was a Christian
missionary in Pakistan for some years, told of a friend who was amused by a Muslim
who confidently asserted that he had committed 129 evil deeds. Fortunately these were
offset by 135 good deeds, so he was still in credit with Allah! Unfortunately, it is not
only Muslims who have such a view of God's judgement. In 1980, a Gallop Poll in the
US showed that 43 per cent of Catholics and 20 per cent of Protestants agreed with the
statement that "heaven is a divine reward for those who earn it by their good life."
Maybe this view sounds logical - but only if we don't think about it too deeply. People
who hold such a view of God's judgement are faced with a number of problems. Firstly,
who sets the standard? Usually the answer is that each person decides for themselves
what they think the standard should be, ignoring what God's pass mark actually is.
Secondly, it would mean that no one could ever know that they were going to heaven.
Who could say for sure they were good enough? (Though many seem to think so!) And
yet the Bible indicates that we can be certain. Thirdly, such a view is asking God to
ignore our failures and, therefore, approve of evil. Fourthly, it contradicts what God has
revealed to us in the Bible.
God's pass mark for getting into heaven?
Let's see what the Bible declares. It may come as a surprise to many that God's pass
mark for getting into heaven is actually 100 per cent - perfection - that is, if you want to
get in on your own merit. When speaking about God's moral laws, particularly his
command to love others as much as we love ourselves, the New Testament declares,
"Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking
all of it" (James 2:10). When we consider that Jesus said the most important command of
all was to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind" (Matthew 22:37), then it becomes obvious that we all have a problem.
The situation looks bleaker still when we take into account Jesus' teaching in the
Sermon on the Mount that we break God's commands as much by our thinking as by
our actions (Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28).
The God that the Bible reveals to us is a "holy" God. This means that he himself is
without evil and is implacably opposed to it. As the prophet Habakkuk declared, "Your
eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong" (Habakkuk 1:13). He is not
only a God of love, but also a God of justice, and to be true to his own nature, he must
judge evil. So here lies the problem. Nothing tainted with evil can live in God's
presence. I may think I am better than most, but we are all in the same boat, "for all
have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). That doesn't mean we are
all as bad as we could be. It simply means that none of us are as good as we should be.
Obviously there must be some other way of getting into heaven than by trying to be
good enough.
God's way of salvation?
Fortunately for us, there is another way of being reconciled to God. God himself has
taken the initiative to reconcile us to himself. At the midpoint in human history, he
came into our world in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus lived on earth as perfect man
and gave us, in his own example, a picture of all we were meant to be. That by itself is
no help. It only shows us up. However, he came for an even greater reason: to die for
our sins and take upon himself the guilt of the human race. This is the central theme of
the New Testament. "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). "He himself bore our sins in his body on the
tree" (1 Peter 2:24). "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins" (1 John 4:10).
We will never understand in this life all that happened while Jesus hung on the cross,
nor all that he suffered. The Bible gives many facets of it; however, the emphasis is
constantly on this event being the supreme evidence of God's love, done because of our
sins and to rescue us from our hopeless predicament. Jesus not only died, he rose
triumphant from the grave and now lives as Lord. The living Christ now offers to us the
benefits of his death on our behalf - forgiveness, reconciliation, his transforming
presence in our lives, and the assurance of a wonderful future in his eternal kingdom.
We do not deserve these things. They are offered to us as free gifts of his love. "The free
gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23 - Revised
Standard Version). However, we do have to decide whether they are gifts that we want,
and will accept. The means by which we receive them is faith. "For it is by grace you
have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not
by works, so that no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8,9).
This being the case, we all have to face a decision. We can continue to attempt to make
it on our own merit, or else we can humble ourselves, admit we are sinners, and
gratefully accept what Jesus is offering us.
DECOLORES
Lenten Lamentations: Seeking God’s Mercy
By Marilyn Espaillat
In Hebrew Tradition, the Book of Lamentations is the fifth book of the Writings. In the
English version, it is found after the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. The
people of Israel had left the salvation of Moses’ Ten Commandments and of Solomon’s
Temple far behind. The corrupt kings and the sluggish people had broken the
covenants of God for hundreds of years. God sent prophets to warn the people, but
they kept turning to other Gods. They refused to listen because of the stubbornness of
their hearts. They were helpless when the Babylonians invaded and Jerusalem was
destroyed. The book of Lamentations reveals the terrible conditions which prevailed
after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It expresses the laments of an
individual, a people, and God.
While Lamentations speaks of God’s anger, it still demonstrates the hope that God will
be merciful to his chosen people. These laments are not irrational grief; they are
actually firm acts of faith in Yahweh’s power, mercy, and justice. The author of
Lamentations acknowledges that God is righteous in actions towards them. Israel
confesses its sinfulness and expresses its faith in Yahweh’s power to restore them.
Lamentations includes five chapters or laments. One scholar believes that the lament in
Chapter One was composed soon after the Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
described as a widow calling for someone to help, but finds no one coming to her side
to comfort her. The cause of real grief is the spiritual terror of God as the enemy.
Jerusalem has been unfaithful and she knows it. She admits her sins.
The author gives a vivid and detailed description from the viewpoint of an eyewitness
of the event. The catastrophe was not an action of a heartless God against innocent
people. Jerusalem brought on her own destruction because of her own sin. The sin of
disobedience brings destruction and God’s judgment.
The destruction of the Temple, as described in Chapter Two, causes Israel to agonize
and cry for mercy. When the Babylonians took over, Jerusalem the result was that more
citizens were deported and Jerusalem became a province of Babylon. The fall of the city
was a consequence of Jerusalem’s infidelity to the omnipotent God, whose anger is
manifested in the Babylonian armies. The people of Jerusalem felt abandoned and
isolated from God.
Chapter Three expresses the author’s personal experience of suffering, but also his
hope. Jeremiah devotes himself to Yahweh on his own behalf and that of the nation.
He prays for interventions. Jeremiah reveals a very profound insight: We have to stop
and examine our lives. We have to take responsibility for our actions by finding where
we have made our mistakes, and correcting them.
Chapter Four is another lament. It is a remembrance of the experience of being taken
over and its effect upon the various types of citizens. This chapter expresses the erratic
situation of Jerusalem at the time of the invasion.
Chapter Five expresses a plea for divine mercy and a petition for restoration. Also, we
can see an echo of the situation in chapter one, repeating a fatherless widow. In the
New American translation, the end of chapter five reads, “Help us to repent!” The
Jews repeat this verse at the end of chapter five, so that the book of Lamentation ends
on a hopeful note.
The significance of the destruction of the Temple is dramatic. Initially, the tent where
the Ark of the Covenant was placed was the meeting place between God and the
people of Israel. The Temple became the center of worship for the people of Israel.
Losing the Temple during the destruction meant losing what tied them to God. The
Jews now read the book of Lamentation every year in the middle of July, on the
anniversary of the day when the Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C.
One approach to interpreting the book of Lamentations is that it is God’s words to
Humanity. A person who reads the Bible as just a major piece of literature may not see
the scriptures as God speaking to us now. I believe that the scriptures are human and
divine documents that witness the power of God to save when we are in the depths of
despair and resentment. The book is there as a reminder to us. If you choose to be
disobedient, you will face the consequences.
Salvation has been achieved at the price of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. It remains only
for us to lament our past misdeeds, and learn to act obediently in the future.
Editor’s Note.
This article was adapted from a research paper which Marilyn did in her college
studies in Old Testament Survey. She wants to thank Father Hilarrio, currently pastor
of the Church in McGregor, who helped her develop the paper.
P.S. Lamentations is not very long. Why not read it sometime during Lent?
A "Meditational Moment" on “Lenten Lamentations”
As we approach the season of Lent, we recall the ways in which we have disobeyed
God. We recall the times when we did the wrong thing and the times when we failed
to do the right thing.
Because Jesus died for us on the altar of the cross, we can feel assured of God’s mercy.
Lent is a time to ask God for that mercy. It is a time for us to become refreshed in spirit,
to have our “temples” rebuilt. For Israel, the forced scattering of the people was tragic;
for Christians, we remember that our mission is to be the “seed, scattered and sown”
and to share our faith with those we encounter while we evangelize our environments.
Let’s take the opportunity during Lent to lament and repent, to rescind our old ways
and ascend to new ways. If we feel we must give up something for Lent, how about
trying to give up giving up! Trust in God, ask forgiveness, persevere, and live a new life.
---Jim Barnes
The Hope of The Prophet
The favors of the Lord are not exhausted
his mercies are not spent:
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.
Good is the Lord to one who waits for him,
to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence
for the saving help of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth.
Let him sit alone and in silence,
when it is laid upon him.
Let him put his mouth to the dust;
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to be struck,
let him be filled with disgrace.
For the Lord’s rejection does not last forever;
Though he punishes, he takes pity,
in the abundance of his mercies;
He has no joy in afflicting or grieving the sons of men.
Lamentations 3:22-33
New American Bible
By Marilyn Espaillat
In Hebrew Tradition, the Book of Lamentations is the fifth book of the Writings. In the
English version, it is found after the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament. The
people of Israel had left the salvation of Moses’ Ten Commandments and of Solomon’s
Temple far behind. The corrupt kings and the sluggish people had broken the
covenants of God for hundreds of years. God sent prophets to warn the people, but
they kept turning to other Gods. They refused to listen because of the stubbornness of
their hearts. They were helpless when the Babylonians invaded and Jerusalem was
destroyed. The book of Lamentations reveals the terrible conditions which prevailed
after the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians. It expresses the laments of an
individual, a people, and God.
While Lamentations speaks of God’s anger, it still demonstrates the hope that God will
be merciful to his chosen people. These laments are not irrational grief; they are
actually firm acts of faith in Yahweh’s power, mercy, and justice. The author of
Lamentations acknowledges that God is righteous in actions towards them. Israel
confesses its sinfulness and expresses its faith in Yahweh’s power to restore them.
Lamentations includes five chapters or laments. One scholar believes that the lament in
Chapter One was composed soon after the Babylonian defeat of Jerusalem. Jerusalem is
described as a widow calling for someone to help, but finds no one coming to her side
to comfort her. The cause of real grief is the spiritual terror of God as the enemy.
Jerusalem has been unfaithful and she knows it. She admits her sins.
The author gives a vivid and detailed description from the viewpoint of an eyewitness
of the event. The catastrophe was not an action of a heartless God against innocent
people. Jerusalem brought on her own destruction because of her own sin. The sin of
disobedience brings destruction and God’s judgment.
The destruction of the Temple, as described in Chapter Two, causes Israel to agonize
and cry for mercy. When the Babylonians took over, Jerusalem the result was that more
citizens were deported and Jerusalem became a province of Babylon. The fall of the city
was a consequence of Jerusalem’s infidelity to the omnipotent God, whose anger is
manifested in the Babylonian armies. The people of Jerusalem felt abandoned and
isolated from God.
Chapter Three expresses the author’s personal experience of suffering, but also his
hope. Jeremiah devotes himself to Yahweh on his own behalf and that of the nation.
He prays for interventions. Jeremiah reveals a very profound insight: We have to stop
and examine our lives. We have to take responsibility for our actions by finding where
we have made our mistakes, and correcting them.
Chapter Four is another lament. It is a remembrance of the experience of being taken
over and its effect upon the various types of citizens. This chapter expresses the erratic
situation of Jerusalem at the time of the invasion.
Chapter Five expresses a plea for divine mercy and a petition for restoration. Also, we
can see an echo of the situation in chapter one, repeating a fatherless widow. In the
New American translation, the end of chapter five reads, “Help us to repent!” The
Jews repeat this verse at the end of chapter five, so that the book of Lamentation ends
on a hopeful note.
The significance of the destruction of the Temple is dramatic. Initially, the tent where
the Ark of the Covenant was placed was the meeting place between God and the
people of Israel. The Temple became the center of worship for the people of Israel.
Losing the Temple during the destruction meant losing what tied them to God. The
Jews now read the book of Lamentation every year in the middle of July, on the
anniversary of the day when the Temple was destroyed in 586 B.C.
One approach to interpreting the book of Lamentations is that it is God’s words to
Humanity. A person who reads the Bible as just a major piece of literature may not see
the scriptures as God speaking to us now. I believe that the scriptures are human and
divine documents that witness the power of God to save when we are in the depths of
despair and resentment. The book is there as a reminder to us. If you choose to be
disobedient, you will face the consequences.
Salvation has been achieved at the price of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross. It remains only
for us to lament our past misdeeds, and learn to act obediently in the future.
Editor’s Note.
This article was adapted from a research paper which Marilyn did in her college
studies in Old Testament Survey. She wants to thank Father Hilarrio, currently pastor
of the Church in McGregor, who helped her develop the paper.
P.S. Lamentations is not very long. Why not read it sometime during Lent?
A "Meditational Moment" on “Lenten Lamentations”
As we approach the season of Lent, we recall the ways in which we have disobeyed
God. We recall the times when we did the wrong thing and the times when we failed
to do the right thing.
Because Jesus died for us on the altar of the cross, we can feel assured of God’s mercy.
Lent is a time to ask God for that mercy. It is a time for us to become refreshed in spirit,
to have our “temples” rebuilt. For Israel, the forced scattering of the people was tragic;
for Christians, we remember that our mission is to be the “seed, scattered and sown”
and to share our faith with those we encounter while we evangelize our environments.
Let’s take the opportunity during Lent to lament and repent, to rescind our old ways
and ascend to new ways. If we feel we must give up something for Lent, how about
trying to give up giving up! Trust in God, ask forgiveness, persevere, and live a new life.
---Jim Barnes
The Hope of The Prophet
The favors of the Lord are not exhausted
his mercies are not spent:
They are renewed each morning,
so great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord, says my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.
Good is the Lord to one who waits for him,
to the soul that seeks him;
It is good to hope in silence
for the saving help of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth.
Let him sit alone and in silence,
when it is laid upon him.
Let him put his mouth to the dust;
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to be struck,
let him be filled with disgrace.
For the Lord’s rejection does not last forever;
Though he punishes, he takes pity,
in the abundance of his mercies;
He has no joy in afflicting or grieving the sons of men.
Lamentations 3:22-33
New American Bible